The present disclosure pertains to an adaptor for coupling a threaded liquefied gas fuel nozzle (e.g., an Acme threaded nozzle) to a quick-connect inlet of a vehicle fuel tank. However, it should be appreciated that the adaptor could also be employed on a quick-connect inlet of a stationary fuel tank or a fuel tank for a gas powered appliance or the like.
Propane, also known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or auto gas, is considered an advantageous alternative fuel for light and medium duty vehicles. Many LPG powered vehicles are now employed in the United States in a variety of fleet applications, such as police cars, shuttles and school buses. Propane is advantageous from a number of standpoints. First, it has a high octane rating (104 to 112) compared to gasoline (87 to 92). Second, it has low carbon and oil contamination characteristics which have resulted in documented engine life up to two times that of gasoline engines. Third, cold start problems associated with liquid fuel are reduced with LPG because the fuel's mixture (propane and air) is completely gaseous. Moreover, LPG powered vehicles can produce lower amounts of harmful emissions, as compared with conventional diesel and gasoline powered vehicles.
A number of vehicles, such as forklift trucks, operate on propane or other LP gas which is stored in a fuel tank on the vehicle itself. These fuel tanks require refilling periodically and there are refilling systems known for such vehicles.
In the interest of fuel economy, it has now been considered desirable to equip automotive vehicles with LPG-type tanks which can be refilled from dispensers in specially adapted vehicle refilling stations equipped with large LPG tanks. Certain such refilling systems are already known in Europe. One known refilling system is a quick coupling system or quick connect employed in a number of European countries. However, in the United States, Acme thread filling guns are usually employed for filling the LPG tanks of vehicles. Therefore, a car or other vehicle having a quick connect LPG tank inlet cannot be refilled with a conventional LPG Acme threaded filling gun, such as is used in the United States.
It would be desirable to develop an adaptor so that a vehicle equipped with a quick connect coupling can be refilled at a service station which does not have a quick connect type refilling gun and is equipped only with an Acme-type refilling gun.